Tribal Libraries have an unique opportunity to develop special collections relating to their own tribe. There may be nationally known research library collections with vast amounts of information on your tribe, but serious researchers will contact the tribal governments of today for new information or confirm information found in other institutions.

As tribal libraries become established and trusted in their communities, they will very likely receive gifts and donations of various print material, photographs and other artifacts. The library policy should allow for such situations and provide a system to accept these gifts or deny them.

The following are examples of special collections:

VERTICAL FILE

The vertical file is a collection of materials that is topical in nature and does not lend itself to cataloging and inclusion in the permanent collection. This collection is usually one of the least expensive to maintain in terms of purchasing material but can consume many hours of staff time. The vertical file is the most individualized collection a tribal library can develop. It is also one of the collections that the community can contribute to without expense. Whenever you see items of interest such as maps, pamphlets, newspaper clippings, etc. you should include them in the vertical file. Perhaps a complete issue of a magazine you don't normally carry that is devoted to Native Americans or your own tribe is found or donated to the library, becoming a part of the vertical file.

The vertical file requires a filing cabinet or its equivalent, file folders, and someone to maintain the file. A lateral file cabinet that is adjustable for both letter size and legal size folders is best. Material in this collection should be reviewed often, a great deal of this material will be updated and/or replaced by book material.

Management: In organizing the collection, the first rule is to appoint responsibility for subject heading assignment to one person if possible. This is not a job which can be doled out to any staff member or volunteer who happens to have a few minutes to spend. In order to establish an integrated network of subject headings, the must be one person who has an overall view of the system and can provide for the intermeshing of its many parts. Of course, this does not mean this is a one-person job, input form other staff members who use the file on a day-to-day basis is encouraged. Good subject headings are essential to locate appropriate information in your vertical file.
Headings should be specific, simple and direct. Don't try to be elegant or scholarly. "House plans" will mean more to the general public that "Architecture, Domestic." Headings should go from general to specific hierarchy, emphasizing key words and bringing affiliated subjects together.

An index to the subject headings employed in the vertical file is essential. It assists the seeker, where it is the librarian or the general public, in retrieving material. It is up to the library as to how detailed the index that handles cross references should be. This is another essential element needed in order to retrieve information.

Development of a vertical file is a good way to involve the tribal community, including tribal members out of the state. Staff and volunteers (and interested community members) can scan magazines and newspapers to pick up interesting articles. Volunteers and staff will need simple instructions on how to identify the source of newspaper and magazine clippings. Any news articles in the local papers regarding your individual tribe should be included. This type of collection would provide information on contemporary issues and trends in tribal government and the tribal community.

Clippings: Newspaper and magazine articles can be a source of current information on significant issues such as sovereignty, taxation, gaming, motor vehicle registration, government to government relations, etc. A clipping is not valuable to your collection if the source of the article is not indicated. Notation of the title of the newspaper and date (including day and year) is essential. Magazine notation should include the title of the magazine, date, and volume and issue. Mounting newspaper clippings does cost money, but it is felt that the investment is more than justified because it puts needed information into a format that will protect the material and make it easy to use. There are several methods for mounting clippings discussed in Miller's The Vertical File and Its Satellites. Some libraries feel that preserving the information in the article is more important than preserving the original article itself, so they have made photocopies of many articles in accordance with copyright laws. Multiple pages of newspaper and magazine articles also need to be handled and stored as one unit.

Maps: Maps of both past or present Indian populations and reservations, tribal removals, allotment maps, or current jurisdictional maps can be part of this collection. Map resources may include magazines (National Geographic), commercial map producers, or from government offices, both state and federal (Bureau of Indian Affairs, etc.)

Pamphlets: Write to local and state historical societies and museums and request brochures and other print material on their collections. There are many government publications that are free. Many members of Congress, senators, county extension agents, or health officers will gladly include your library on their regular mailing list for government publications.

ORAL HISTORY

Oral history collections are becoming more common in tribal libraries. Oral history is especially effective in Native American communities because, traditionally tribal history, culture, and traditions have been transmitted by word of mouth rather than in written form.

As with all successful projects, careful planning is needed before the first interview is conducted. Some suggestions are offered:

1. Often collections focus on a specific topic in addition to general recollections of the elderly people in the community before their memories are lost to us. Have interviewees relate events in their own life experiences such as school days, military experience, or special skills, cultural or non-cultural. The focus might be on a historic event affecting many people, such as reorganization of tribal government.

2. Careful training for interviewers should be included in the first planning activities. This is particularly true for most tribal libraries, since interviewers may have little or no experience in interviewing. Training should include becoming at ease setting up and using recording equipment and listening to other tapes of experienced interviewers. After learning techniques for stimulating people to talk and for directing interviews along selected topics, interviewers may wish to practice with each other and evaluate their own skills. It would also be helpful to seek critical evaluation form an experienced oral historian.

3. The interviewer should have the respect and trust of his or her subject. One way to accomplish this is to thoroughly explain the purpose and scope of the oral history project and the place the individual will have in the success of the project. Because many of those being interviewed may be elderly, patience in explaining the project is important.

4. Homework is another key to a successful interview. The interviewer should gather background information on the interview subject. This will assist the interviewer in formulating questions for the interview itself. The location in which the interview will occur can determine the quality of the interview. A quiet, comfortable setting is desirable. It is also advisable, when possible, to have only the subject present when conducting the interview.

5. A written release statement must be signed by each person interviewed indicating their understanding of the project and their donation of the rights to the interview to the project.

PHOTOGRAPHS

Libraries are concerned with photographs as a medium that stores information. Aside from the possible value of a photograph as an original historical artifact or a work of art, photographs contain important information that may not be found in any other source.

Preservation: Because of their fragility and sensitivity to light, original photographs should never be exhibited or even frequently used. Most large photographic collections rely on duplication of the original as their primary method of preservation. High quality modern copy films in combination with archival processing and storage can ensure preservation of the image and its information. Of course the historical value of the original must be weighed against the expense of duplication. Whether a tribal library chooses to duplicate original photographs immediately or a few at a time as the budget will allow, storage is the same for negatives, original or duplicates.